May 2013 - Parks & Recreation - 43

Hit the

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Gym
A new era of fitness trails and outdoor gyms
helps communities stay healthy
By Carrie Madren

R

ounding the trail, sunlight weaves through the woods as I pass a dog walker and spy another
fitness station, tucked neatly between the trees, with its tired sign and barely mulched pad.
The faded, red-painted wood is worn, but still sturdy. No one's using these fitness areas in this
Northern Virginia park today, but it represents the old guard of fitness trails that began making appearances in neighborhood parks in the 1970s.
Now, in the 21st century, a new breed of modern fitness stations have local residents working out -
often together, as they build community. These " outdoor gyms " offer quality, updated equipment that
challenges people's muscles and gets their hearts pumping.
During a time of tight budgets across the
country, these outdoor fitness zones offer a
free alternative to gym memberships. Many of
these park gyms are open 24 hours a day, seven
days a week. As a bonus, people gain benefits
from the fresh air and relaxation from spending time in a park.
Behind this growing trend, however, is a serious health problem: Americans are suffering
from their poor diet and exercise choices. Heart
disease claims some 600,000 people - one in
every four deaths - in the United States every
year. Obesity affects nearly 60 million adults, or
about 30 percent of the adult population, and
more than a third of all U.S. children and adolescents are overweight or obese. In addition, a
wide range of other chronic diseases related to
diet and exercise keep Americans in ill health.

Local governments are realizing that their
communities are in serious need of exercise, and
many believe that the answer to encouraging exercise lies in providing the means to get moving.
To make it easier and more appealing for individuals to get fit, local park and recreation departments have invested in modern fitness stations to
help get people moving - and prevent the health
problems that are sure to develop if they don't.
The New Era of Park Fitness Trails
Though pull-up bars, low beams to jump over,
and push-up inclines have long graced fitness
trails since the 1970s, today's fitness-zone planners have modern options that include equipment
with moving parts as well as updated classics.
In addition to colorful aesthetics and modern, durable materials, many of these pieces of

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May 2013 - Parks & Recreation

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